Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1887-11-04
THE PEOPLE CANNOT VOTE FOR
THIS CANDIDATE.

THIS CANDIDATE.
Mr.. W. Bailey Dunlap, one of the NOM
inees of the Republican meeting of Octo
Der Sth appears in the last "Valisy Viz
ginion'' giving his views on "those aaes-
tions," he says, "in which Virginians are
most deeply concerned" We give his
card in full. printing it by paragraphs:
To the Voters Of AUGUSTA County,:
In a note accepting the nomination OF the
Republican Mass Convention, held in Staun-
ton Oct 9th. stated that should. at fu-
ture date, give to the public, briefly, my
views upon those questions In which Virgin
ans are most deeply concerned. In compli-
ance with that promise, 1 respectfully sub
NIT the following:
believe the State debt can be settled to
he satisfaction of the creditors, without in
reasing the present rate or aggregate Of taxa
5ion or in any wise impairing the efficiency
If the schools, asylums, &c. This can be
lone by meeting the representatives of the
oondholders in good faith and dealing with
hem as business men and not as politicians.
TO this end, would favor commission of
uon-partzen business men, who, on behalf of
the State, would secure from the creditors the
best settlement possible, to be passed upon
by the legislature and then submitted to the
people. With economy in the administration
of the States affairs and the adoption of
changes in our revenue laws by which all
| classes would be equally taxed, and by which
+ba 4ox, Ia
not Systematically evaded as it now is, Vir-
ginia could meet every obligation for which
she is bound, and that too without adding to
the burden of her people. The debt is purely
business question and should be settled by
business methods.
When Mr.. Dunlap was named at the
court house gathering here, ex-A Auditor S.
Brown Allen said that when the delegates,
returning home, Wouid inform him Of his
nomination be ''would have honest mis-
givings of his ability for the work. -
If the above solution Of the Debt
question is the result of Err. Dunlap's
twenty days of deliberation, then
we must conclude that his ''hon-
est misgivings'' are we'll founded. In
stead OF having any definite plan for set
cling the debt be appears to have address
ed himself to the easiest way to run away
from it, to abandon the Rlddleberger set
Element and turn the States interest
over to ga commission of nen-partizan
business men, who shall meet the repre-
sentatives of the bondhoders." He tosses
off that suggestion with the confidence of
inexperience and with the air of shat set
ties It," He does not seem to remember
the three conferences with the bondhol-
ders since 1871 that at the second Of them,
the bondholders, a proposition was made
and accepted which resulted in the Nc
Cullogh Bill-a bill Which required in
creased taxation and was promptly repu-
dated by the people at the polls; and that
at the third conference held last May the
ultimatum of the bondholders, Sir Edward
Thornton acting for them, was 1894. 900 of
interest per annum, much higher sum
than the Mccullough Bill called for. The
State without an increase of taxation is
der the Rlddleberger bill, if that, and is
not able to pay the 81 .000,Oo0 of coupons
at all. Unless Mr.. Dunlap means heavy
increase Of taxation, bis talk about meet
ing the representatives of the bondholders
with a business commission or any other
commission is triflng with the people. Ii
ne doss mean increase Of taxation and the
psyment of a higher sun TO the creditors,
it is useless to discuss him at all, for he
will never get the votes of the Augusta
people on that platform. His talk about
ECONOMY. change in revenue laws and the
like is idle. for there is no conceivable
economy Virginia can practice. and no
possible change in her revenue laws which
will raise the quarter Of a million dollars
annually in excess of the Riddleberger in
terest as demanded by the Bondholders
Conference of May last.
MIR. Dunlap would have done better to
address himself to something really prac-
tical, which is this: The State is fully
able to meet all her Obligations if her citl-
zens will only pay their taxes in money.
That settles tie debt question beyond the in
reference of bondholders or Federal
Courts. If Mr. Dunlap had advised his
political friends to do that, he would have
shown that he had some practical know
ledge of the condition Of the Virginia debt
and its cure.
81 oppose the existing system by which con-
vict labor is permitted to come in competition
with the work of honest men, whether those
men be mechanics at the bench or day labor
ers on the railroad. Convicts could be pro-
Gtably employed in working county roads,
thereby not only avoiding competition with
honest wage-earners, but relieving the poor
of an unjust and onerous tax"
This is an excellent Democratic plank
in Mr.. Danlap's platform, but it is not in
accord with his party. The Republican
party was in power in Virginia two years.
Its chief boast when campaigning for an
other lease of power was that 1t had made
the pendtentsarv self Sustaining. by hiring
convicts to contractors for nonutactures
and other qrork. That was the boast on the
stump all through the canvass, as some
ing the Democrats hadn't been able to
do. The charge was true-the Democrats
had not been able to do it, nor even to try.
Mr.. Dunlap will have to depend on the
Democratic party and the law of Demo-
cratic legislature passed March 6, 1885, to
work convicts on county roads and to
protect the mechanics from the compet-
tion of convict labor.
The legislation against convict labor has
come from the Democracy. 1t was a Dem
ocratic congress that passed law forbid
ding the employment Of convict labor on
public works. It was Democratic legis-